The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1887-08-11
For the Herald and News.
THOUGHTS FOR THE HOUR.


Word that, in answer to prayer, faith
and purity of life, the early and the lat
ter rains have descended upon the ealth,
70 clothe it with verdure, enl ich it with
the fruits of the field, and bless it with
the baptislnal benediction of heaven!
And, per contra, that the showers have
been withheld or sent in angry floods,
because Of the displeasure Of the AL
mighty.
Now as three or four successfully
poor crop years have reduced many of
the farmers and non-producers (or ey-
erything comes from the earth) to an ex-
tremity, it becomes Us as an intelligent
Christian people Gn contradistinction TO
~pagan)-a people who surely do not wor-
ship blind force, to supplicate the Di-
vine clemency and compassion that He,
in the plentitude Of His power aud IN
the magnitude OF His mercy, may with
hold the floods that are devastating the
fields and threatening the crops with
disaster.
There are many contingencies that
might arise before harvest time, such as
continued rain, that runs the plant to
weed and produces rust and rotting If
the fruit; or drouth that can cut Of, or
hail, or worm, etc. And while we
this locality may escape the>e disasters
(and God grant that we may), we should
pray the blessings OF the Almighty upon
other neighborhoods and localities, for
Christianity is neither selfish nor sec
tional, and the blessings are not simply
for this or that section, nor the present
hour alone.
The Judge OF all the earth is waiting
to be gracious. But ue are not ready.
A full blessing would dcmoraliza us
more and more, much is we may need
it. What pity.
There is tco much practical infdeiity
on the part of many protesting Chris
tians. Church membership alcnc, con-
stitutes, in their view, all the require
ments. Alas. it is but the initial step.
They talk, in the divine econ 'my, among
other things, OF prayer for rain or for its
cessation, as idle. They are not compc-
tent to determine, for they will neither
search that they may know, nor seek
''that they may fad"
That the years are phenomenal none,
possibly, will deny. The conditions are
abnormal, and nc two are alike. The 81
rocco that has parched sevcnty-five thou
sand square miles of land il the North
west, and the fearful floods in the val
leys below, together with the drouth
that prevailed for two successive years
over section OF Texas nearly rs large as
Carolina. and which threatened FAM
inc that caused the people to cry aloud
for ''bre:ld for the cater and seed for the
sower," show what the negation OF
Gods providence is. and tell us that
these Affections are as possible for tie
whole nation as for sections thereof
"Man's extremity is Gods opportu-
nity." Let US honestly and heartily try
the Divine possibilities. They are with
out limit. /
Apropos of Gods special providences,
we must refer to the voice that was
heard in that mighty tone" last Sunday
the terrific thunderbolts that followed
so fast upon the furious flashes OF light
ming. 1t was the power OF the Almighty
when lie "ariseth to shake nightly the
earth" deep answered unto deep, for
many of the houses shook as though
they were upoA the tremuious waves OF
an earthquake.
In the little village ot lIe'ena, we are
told, six telegraph posts, four trees and
two unoccupied buildings were stricken
by the subtle fluid. How thankful
ought the people 10 be that Gods spe-
cial providence had shielded them from
harm. In Newberry likewise, and par
ticularly where thrilling illustration OF
special providence was manifested
short time before, when the 4. R. P.
church felt the force Of the electric
fuid. 1t was in the afternoon, and tie
W. C. T. U. with the Band Of Hope
were holding their services. The de-
voted president, Mrs. Mower, was speak
ing of Noah and the ark, and explaining